EGYPTIAN BLOGGERS FIXATED ON IRANIAN UNREST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 001196

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ELA AND DRL/NESCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2029
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM IR EG
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN BLOGGERS FIXATED ON IRANIAN UNREST

REF: CAIRO 544

Classified By: Economic-Political Minister-Counselor
William R. Stewart for reason 1.4 (d).


1. KEY POINTS

-- (U) Egyptian bloggers remain fixated on the unrest in
Iran, even as the story drops from the front pages of local
newspapers.

-- (U) Bloggers have reported on developments, using
traditional and "new" media sources, and posting photos and
videos of the protests and killings. They are particularly
interested in Hizballah's reported role in the crackdown.

-- (U) Most bloggers have expressed support for the Iranian
opposition, and many have backed President Obama's public
comments. Others have accused the U.S. of hypocrisy for
condemning violence in Iran while waging war in Afghanistan.

-- (C) There is a conspicuous lack of blogger commentary on
the possible implications for Egypt. One blogger told us
privately that the unrest "means nothing for Egypt."

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Bloggers Reporting...
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2. (U) Bloggers have been reporting developments on the
ground, sourced from major news organizations, Twitter,
Facebook, video and e-mails from anonymous friends in Iran.
They have also provided analysis on issues such as the U.S.
and Israeli stances on the issue, the role of Hizballah, and
the merits of opposition candidate Moussavi versus Iranian
President Ahmadi-Nejad. We have seen only one blogger
calling for action -- Dalia Ziada of the American-Islamic
Conference who requested her readers sign a petition calling
on their governments to condemn and shun the Iranian
government until Iranians are allowed "to peacefully address
their election concerns."


3. (U) As the Iranian protests began, bloggers reported on
the government's steps to silence the foreign media, and on
the size of opposition rallies. As events became violent,
bloggers reported the numbers of victims and posted graphic
videos and photos of the killings. They also posted photos
of opposition rallies and oppositionists attacking government
backed militias. Bloggers have also focused on the death of
the teenage girl Neda Sultan, posting the YouTube video of
her killing, and criticizing the Iranian government for not
permitting a "proper funeral." One blogger compared Sultan
to victims of police brutality in Egypt.


4. (U) Bloggers have been interested in possible Hizballah
involvement in the unrest, with Wael Abbas reporting that a
Hizballah-backed militia attacked a student dormitory in
Teheran, and "Sandmonkey" citing allegations in the German
newspaper "Der Spiegel" that Hizballah militants have been
participating in the crackdown. Abbas wrote that according
to Iranian bloggers some of the riot police in Teheran
appeared to be Lebanese. Bloggers have also focused on steps
the Iranian government has taken against foreign media,
reporting on June 15 that the government closed the
"Al-Arabiya" office, and on June 24 that it arrested
reporters from "The New York Times" and "The Washington
Times."

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... And Analyzing
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5. (U) Most bloggers have expressed explicit support for
Moussavi and the demonstrators, and criticism of Ahmadi-Nejad
and Supreme Leader Khamanei. One blogger described
Khamanei's June 19 sermon calling for an end to protests as
similar to the "bad speech" of "an Arab leader." Some
bloggers backed President Obama's public comments on the
unrest and posited that direct U.S. support for the
opposition would be counterproductive. Blogger Hossam
Hamalawy who often expresses anti-U.S. views criticized the
U.S. as "hypocritical" for deploring the violence in Iran
while continuing to "drop bombs in Afghanistan." Another
blogger asserted that the U.S. supports freedom of speech
only in countries that are not Washington's "clients." One
blogger commented that Egyptians are watching democracy all
over the work without practicing it themselves.

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CAIRO 00001196 002 OF 002


Iranian Protests "Mean Nothing for Egypt"
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6. (C) "Sandmonkey" told us privately that he admires the
Iranian opposition for "standing up to the system" and
"showing the world they are against the Mullahs." He
believes Egyptians view the Iranian demonstrators "with pure
envy" for protesting against their government in a way that
Egyptians cannot. The Iranian protests "mean nothing for
Egypt," he asserted, speculating that there will be no impact
on democracy activists in Egypt. Another blogger told us she
believes increased freedom in Iran would be in Egypt's
interest, but she worried that Iranian security forces had
succeeded in intimidating the protestors. President of the
Egyptian Organization for Human Rights Hisham Kassem told us
any impact on Egypt would only become apparent in the coming
months.

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Comment: Silence on Implications for Egypt
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7. (C) While Egyptian bloggers are actively reporting and
analyzing events, they have largely refrained from
speculating on the possible implications for Egypt. Whether
out of fear of a GOE crackdown for drawing parallels, or a
sense that the Iranian context is completely different --
bloggers have decided not to confront this issue. Even the
prolific English-language blogger Zeinab Mohammed, who
comments on everything from Egyptian diplomats' New York
parking tickets to Gamal Mubarak's appearance, shied away
from this topic. While she posted a quote from one CNN
analyst, "If it hadn't happened in Iran, Egypt would be the
next place for an uprising," she would only add that it was
"interesting."
SCOBEY